Tired of scrolling through the channels on your cable guide only to realize there’s nothing on? Sick of having access to hundreds of different cable or satellite channels but never having anything good to watch?
Enter streaming services like Netflix that let you watch what you want, when you want. And the best part is we’re living in the era of the streaming wars, so there are more options than ever before.
If you’re tired of the same old thing on TV, or looking for a great alternative to Netflix, here are all 26 streaming services that are available in Canada — including a couple options you can watch for free!
Contents
Contents
Streaming services in Canada comparison
| Service | Price Per Month | Annual Price | Free Trial | Simultaneous | Offline viewing | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | $8.99 | $89.99 | 7 days | 4 devices | Yes | Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar |
| Netflix | $9.99/$14.99/$18.99 | No | 1/2/4 screens | Yes | Originals like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things | |
| YouTube Premium | $11.99/$17.99 | 1 month | 1/5 accounts | Yes | Ad-free YouTube & Music | |
| fuboTV | $15.99/$21.98 | 7 days | 2/3 screens | 30 hours storage | beIN Sports, Fight Network, Paramount Network | |
| Apple TV+ | $5.99 | 7 days | 5 family members | Yes | Oprah Talks, Servant, Helpsters, Snoopy in Space | |
| hayu | $5.99 | 1 month | 1 screen | Yes | Reality shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians, Top Chef, Real Housewives | |
| CBC Gem | $0/$4.99 ad-free | 1 month | 5 screens | No | CanCon like Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience | |
| The Roku Channel | $0, add-ons available | Varies | No limit | Varies | Watching other streaming services ("channels") all in one place | |
| DAZN | $20 | $150 | 1 month | 2 devices | No | Live sports like NFL, Premier League & MLB Network |
| The Criterion Channel | $10.99 USD | $99.99 USD | 14 days | 3 | Yes | Classic movies like Raging Bull, The 39 Steps, Godzilla |
| Britbox | $8.99 | $89.99 | 7 days | 5 | Only through Apple TV | British shows like Doctor Who, Mr Bean, Pride and Prejudice |
| Sundance Now | $6.99 USD | $59.99 USD | 7 days | 1 | Some | Independent films and docs like Whiplash, Burn After Reading, The Queen |
| CBS All Access | $5.99 | 1 month | 2 | 25 shows/movies | CBS shows like NCIS, Survivor, Elementary | |
| Plex | $0/$6.49 | $0/$49.99 | 3 | Yes | Create and share your own media library | |
| Crave | $9.99/$19.98 | 1 month | 2 | Yes | Letterkenny, Showtime/Add-on HBO shows like Westworld, The Big Bang Theory, The Handmaid’s Tale | |
| Amazon Prime Video | $7.99, free with Prime | 1 month | 3 | Some | Originals like Jack Ryan, The Grand Tour, Carnival Row | |
| Shudder | $5.99 USD | $56.99 USD | 7 days | 1 | No | Horror & thrillers like Halloween, Oldboy, Scream |
| HighballTV | $7 | $70 | 7 days | Yes | Film festival films like Luba, What We Do in the Shadows, Steel City | |
| Kanopy | $0 (and ad-free) | 1 | No | Free for students or library card holders from a participating library, college, or university (limited views per month) | ||
| Acorn TV | $7.49 | $74.99 | 4 | No | British TV like Midsomer Murders, Miss Fisher | |
| CuriosityStream | $2.99 USD | $19.99 USD | No limit | 10 hours storage | Documentaries like Conscious Capitalism, Sacred Spaces, Big Cats | |
| Club illico | $15 | 1 | No | French versions of James Bond, 300, Flash | ||
| Crunchyroll | $7.99 | $69.99 | 14 days | 2 family members | Only on mobile through VRV.co | Anime & manga like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Naruto Shippuden, Attack on Titan |
| tubi | $0 | 1 | No | Paramount, Lionsgate, MGM content like The Island, There Will Be Blood, The Passion of the Christ | ||
| MUBI | $9.99 | $83.88 | 2 | Yes | Curated cinema and cult classics like Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, The Border Fence | |
| Spuul | $4.99 | $49.99 | 1 month | No limit | Yes | Bollywood titles like Kahaani 2, Naseeb, and Anjaam |
Best streaming devices to watch your content on
The easiest and most convenient way to enjoy many of the services below is through a streaming device (formally known as a “set-top box”). It is like a cable box in that it’s a device that receives a digital signal that you can watch on your television. We recommend the following streaming devices that support the streaming services listed below:
1. Disney+
Some people hear about Disney’s streaming service and ask why they’d want it. But when you scroll through what’s available, you remember that they have made some incredible movies over the years, including all the gems from Pixar.
Plus, they are now the proud parent company of Marvel and Lucasfilm, and that means Disney+ has an awesome selection of Star Wars movies and shows, as well as Marvel superhero films, plus the hilarious and endearing Pixar movies, Disney+ originals, The Simpsons and documentary series from National Geographic.
Ways to watch
You can watch from just about any platform, including computers, Android and iOS devices, smart TVs, Amazon FireTV, Roku, Xbox One, and more. Check out their site for a full list.
Pricing
$8.99 monthly, or save a few dollars and pay $89.99 for an annual subscription.
Top shows and exclusive content
Disney+ is great for adults as much as it is for kids and families. Here are some of the most popular titles:
- Star Wars
- The Muppets
- The Mandalorian
- Togo
- The World According to Jeff Goldblum
- Iron Man
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- The Simpsons
2. Netflix
Netflix does their best to host content that will appeal to anyone and everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid, senior, or something in between — there’s plenty to watch for viewers of all ages.
And they have shows and movies in just about every genre, including comedy, romance, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, true crime, and documentaries. More recently, they’ve been adding a lot of foreign-language murder mystery shows to the Netflix Canada site, so they are becoming a better option if you love international content.
Ways to watch
Netflix makes it incredibly easy to watch, so platforms include desktop and laptop computers, PlayStation, Xbox, smart TVs, Chromecast, Blu-ray players, Wii, Android, iOS, Apple TV, and more.
Pricing
Netflix has three monthly plans:
- Basic costs $9.99 and you can watch on 1 screen
- Standard costs $14.99 and you can watch on 2 screens
- Premium costs $18.99 and you can watch on 4 screens
Top shows and exclusive content
There is a ton of exclusive original content on Netflix, including the ever-popular shows:
- Stranger Things
- Orange Is the New Black
- Ozark
- Altered Carbon
- El Camino (a movie spin-off of Breaking Bad)
- Mindhunter
- Black Mirror
And so much more. In fact, a good portion of the content on Netflix is original stuff that you won’t find elsewhere.
3. YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium gives you access to all the same great content that’s available on YouTube, but with some additional perks. For one thing, you get an ad-free experience when you watch videos and listen to music.
Another benefit is that you can actually watch or listen while using other apps. You can also download videos to watch later, and you get access to YouTube’s new music app, YouTube Music Premium. Finally, Canadian subscribers also get free access to Google Music.
Ways to watch
You can use it the same way you would watch YouTube regularly: on your PC or Mac, through some set-top boxes like Roku, on a smart TV, or through the app on your smartphone or tablet.
Pricing
$11.99 per month, but there’s also a $6.99 per month rate for students, and a family plan that’s available for $17.99 per month so you can share your membership with up to 5 other members of your household.
Top shows and exclusive content
YouTube is a trove of original content from people around the world, and there are billions of videos on the video-sharing platform. Some of the most popular are videos about crafting, product reviews, how-to guides, music, and vlogs.
4. fuboTV
This streaming service is for the die-hard sports fans out there. fuboTV started out dedicated wholly to soccer, but since then they’ve branched out to include most sports, such as hockey, football, cycling, and baseball.
While live TV is their major offering, you can also watch sports news, shows, and movies, and they recently added some network TV shows and movies that aren’t sports related. Plus, each membership comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR, so you can record the games you can’t catch live.
Ways to watch
You can watch on your computer, or you can download the app for iOS and Android devices, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Apple TV, FireTV, and Chromecast.
Pricing
$15.99 a month, and that allows you to stream live on 2 devices at a time. You can also add streaming for a third device for an additional $5.99 a month.
Top shows and exclusive content
With fuboTV in Canada, you can watch several beIN Sports channels, BenficaTV, Fight Network, Paramount Network, GameTV, and fuboTV Network.
5. Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a new on-demand video streaming service offering from Apple, and their response to Netflix. They have exclusive Apple original content that you won’t find anywhere else, and that includes movies and documentaries, TV shows, and kid-friendly viewing options.
Apple didn’t pull any punches when putting together programming for this service, and they got big names like Oprah, Steven Spielberg, Octavia Spencer, and Jason Momoa on board for projects. The service is still quite new, so the content offering isn’t as hefty as some of the older streaming services, but Apple is adding fresh original content every month.
Ways to watch
It is available on iOS devices, including Apple TVs, but you can also watch it using the Apple TV app on your PC, and on other smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, and more.
Pricing
It is one of the cheaper on-demand streaming services out there at $5.99 a month, or you can get a free year of Apple TV+ if you purchase an Apple TV. With the cost of subscription, you can share your account with up to five family members.
Top shows and exclusive content
Some of the great content available through this service right now includes titles like:
- See
- Oprah’s Book Club
- The Morning Show
- Amazing Stories
- Home Before Dark
- Little America
6. hayu
Hayu is NBC’s foray into the world of on-demand streaming, and this service is dedicated to reality TV. On hayu, you’ll find anything from true crime to cooking to dance competitions, and every other type of reality programming, like dating shows, home and renovation shows, lifestyle shows, and plenty more.
Because of the limited scope of hayu, there isn’t as much content here as you might find with some of the others on the list, but they still boast over 250 titles.
Ways to watch
You can watch on Android and iOS phones, on Apple tablets, and on your computer, smart TVs, and set-top boxes.
Pricing
$5.99 a month, and they offer the first month free.
Top shows and exclusive content
All the top reality shows are on hayu, including:
- Keeping up with the Kardashians
- Top Chef
- Vanderpump Rules
- Queer Eye
- Blind Date
- 16 and Pregnant.
7. CBC Gem
As you might expect, CBC Gem is chock-full of great Canadian content, including all the shows, documentaries, movies, and newscasts that you’d see if you watched CBC TV, as well as some additional international content. There are three service levels available, and two of them are completely free.
You can access the site without logging in for the most basic access, or you can sign up for a free Gem membership to live stream CBC TV, watch past and current shows, and get ad-free access to children’s programming. Finally, you can also pay for the service for a nominal fee to watch your favourite shows ad-free.
Ways to watch
You can watch online from your Mac or PC, or you can download the Gem app for iOS and Android devices, Fire TV, Android TV, and tvOS.
Pricing
It’s available free! Or, you can also upgrade to the paid version, which only costs $4.99 a month.
Top shows and exclusive content
CBC Gem has all your favourite gems from around the country, including:
- Workin’ Moms
- Schitt’s Creek
- Kim’s Convenience
- Award-winning documentaries like Equus
- CBC live TV
8. The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is available through the Roku device and many smart TVs. This streaming service is a little different from some of the other ones because it collects other channels and streaming services and makes them available in one convenient place. It gives you access to tons of free channels, subscription channels, and rental channels.
You can watch television, movies, news, documentaries, and sports on channels like Tubi, Cineplex Store, Red Bull TV, TED, and international channels.
Ways to watch
The most common way to watch the Roku Channel is with a Roku set-top box. All you do is add the Roku Channel to the device. Otherwise, you can also watch the channel from your computer, but you’ll have to create an account first. Another option is downloading the Roku app on your smartphone or tablet and casting it to your smart TV.
Pricing
There is a free version, but you’ll have to put up with ads. There are also a number of subscription channels you can pay for (like Netflix), and options for paid on-demand episodes and movies (through Google Play Movies and TV, for instance).
Top shows and exclusive content
There’s a ton of content available through the Roku Channel, and you can watch children’s programming like:
- Sesame Street
- Award-winning films like Memento
- British crime dramas like Midsomer Murders
- Sports like live UFC fights
9. DAZN
This is another streaming service for sports fans, because DAZN is dedicated to streaming live and on-demand sports of all kinds. With this streaming service, you can watch hockey, baseball, soccer, boxing, rugby, tennis, cricket, and especially football.
When you subscribe, you can watch every football game of the season because you get access to NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL RedZone, and NFL Game Pass.
Ways to watch
There are plenty of ways to watch your favourite matches, including:
- Through the app on your smartphone or tablet
- On the computer
- Through your game console
- With Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV
Pricing
DAZN costs $20 a month, or you can save 40% by paying for an annual subscription, which will cost $150 for the year.
Top shows and exclusive content
The DAZN service gives you access to all the professional sports games and matches, including:
- NFL
- UEFA Europa League
- MLB
- Bellator
- Carabao Cup
10. The Criterion Channel
The Criterion Channel is a movie streaming service provided by Criterion Collection, which is a home video distribution company that loves film. If you love cinema, then this is the streaming service for you.
Their library is home to thousands of contemporary and classic films, as well as independent, arthouse, international, and Hollywood films. Plus, this is one of the only streaming services that will let you watch classic movies that are older than the 1970s and 80s.
Ways to watch
This service is available online through your PC or Mac, through the app on your iOS or Android device, or you can download the app through Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku.
Pricing
$10.99 USD a month. You can also opt for the $99.99 USD annual subscription to save yourself some cash. Not sure if this is the service you want? Don’t worry, they offer a 14-day free trial.
Top shows and exclusive content
As a streaming service for cinephiles, The Criterion Channel has classics, indie films, and blockbusters such as:
- The Graduate
- Raging Bull
- 3:10 to Yuma (the original from 1957)
- Withnail and I
- Ghost World
- A number of the original Godzilla movies.
11. BritBox
Is BBC as common a word as tea, chips, and Yorkshire pudding in your house? For all the lovers of British shows and movies, here’s the streaming service for you: BritBox.
It boasts all the best English mysteries, crime shows, comedies, dramas, soap operas, and documentaries that have ever come out of the UK. If you consider Coronation Street a time of day instead of a program, then your house can’t be without BritBox.
Ways to watch
You can watch BritBox on a web browser, through your Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast, on a smart TV, or using the app on your smartphone or tablet.
Pricing
After the 7-day free trial, it costs $8.99 a month, or the slightly cheaper $89.99 a year.
Top shows and exclusive content
There are way too many amazing shows and movies to list, but to give you an idea of the plethora of English goodness available on BritBox, here are a few of the most popular titles:
- Doctor Who
- Mr. Bean
- Keeping up Appearances
- Fawlty Towers
- Father Brown
- Blackadder
12. Sundance Now
Sundance Now has ties with the Sundance Institute (the organization that brings us the Sundance Film Festival), but it’s owned by AMC Networks. Still, the offerings on Sundance Now are what you might expect from a slightly more art-centric and independently minded streaming service.
You can watch documentaries, foreign films, biographies, educational programming, comedies, and especially true crime, thrillers, and dramas.
Ways to watch
It is available on your computer, on Android and Apple devices, and through Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV.
Pricing
Take advantage of the 7-day free trial, and after that you’ll pay $6.99 USD a month, or $59.99 USD for an annual subscription.
Top shows and exclusive content
You will definitely find things on Sundance Now that you wouldn’t see on any other streaming service, and that includes shows like:
- Being Human
- A Discovery of Witches
- Burn After Reading
- The Queen
- Amy
13. CBS All Access
You might expect that CBS All Access would give you access to a lot of the great content that’s available on CBS, and you’d be right. Through their streaming service, you can watch episodes of some of your favourite shows, original content, and live TV from CBS, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ, and ET Live.
However, you won’t be able to watch everything that’s available on CBS, but there’s still a great selection of children’s programming, reality TV, dramatic series, comedies, and more.
Ways to watch
You can watch on your smartphone, tablet, computer, smart TV, game console, or set-top box.
Pricing
Plans start at just $5.99 a month.
Top shows and exclusive content
Several of the network’s most popular shows are available on CBS All Access, including:
- NCIS
- Big Brother
- Picard
- Young Sheldon
14. Plex
Plex is a great option for families on a budget because it offers thousands of movies, live TV, news, web series, and shows for free. No matter what type of genre you like, including horror, Bollywood, sci-fi, romance, drama, anime, and beyond, you’re guaranteed to find some titles on Plex that float your boat.
All you have to do is put in your email address and create a password to start watching. There’s also a premium version called Plex Pass that gives you additional options like adding parental controls and a mobile sync so you can watch movies and shows offline. Just be warned that all the Plex options, even the paid account, are ad-supported.
Ways to watch
Plex is available online on your Mac or PC, and you can also stream it on your smartphone, tablet, or smart TV.
Pricing
Plex is available completely free, and you get access to their full catalogue of titles just by signing up. You can also upgrade to the Plex Pass for $6.49 a month, $49.99 a year, or $159.99 for a lifetime membership.
Top shows and exclusive content
It doesn’t matter if you love anything from the 70s to current movies and shows: you’ll definitely find something on Plex to keep you busy, like:
- Rain Man
- Thelma and Louise
- Escape from New York
- Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
- Leaving Las Vegas
15. Crave
Crave is Bell Media’s streaming service, and the basic package will get you Crave original series, Showtime content, and some classic HBO series. While the basic package has plenty of content to keep you busy, you’ll have to upgrade if you want access to movies and some newer shows.
Crave has add-ons that let you watch movies, new HBO shows, content from Starz, and French movies and shows.
Ways to watch
It is available on your computer, smartphone, tablet, game consoles, set-top boxes, and more.
Pricing
Basic costs $9.99 a month. You can add movies and new HBO for an additional $9.99 a month, Starz for $5.99 per month, and Super Écran (French content) for $9.99.
Top shows and exclusive content
Depending on which add-ons you opt for, Crave can give you access to incredible shows like:
- Westworld
- The Big Bang Theory
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Homeland
- Letterkenny
- Aquaman
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Crazy Rich Asians
- The Big Lebowski
16. Amazon Prime Video
You might know about Amazon Prime as the paid account that gets you free shipping through Amazon and other great perks, but did you know that you also get access to Amazon’s streaming service?
Amazon Prime Video has TV shows like Mr. Robot, Hollywood blockbusters like The Godfather trilogy, and original content from Amazon that’s not available anywhere else. If you download the Prime Video app, you can also download movies and shows to your mobile device to watch offline.
Ways to watch
It can be accessed from your computer, on your smartphone or tablet, and through some smart TVs.
Pricing
Amazon Prime costs $7.99 a month, and that gets you access to the video streaming service on three devices at a time, free shipping, same-day delivery (in some cities), Prime Music, and all the other advantages that come with membership.
Top shows and exclusive content
Prime Video has a whole host of movies and TV shows, as well as some Amazon original content, like:
- Jack Ryan
- Hunters
- Fleabag
- The Man in the High Castle
- Good Omens
- The Grand Tour
- The Boys
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Sneaky Pete
17. Shudder
Do scary stories make you giggle with delight? Do you love feeling scared enough to sleep with the lights on? If that sounds like you, then you’ve met your match. Shudder is another streaming service from AMC, but this one is dedicated entirely to horrors, thrillers, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense stories.
A subscription will get you access to movies, shows, Shudder TV, podcasts, live streaming events, and even Shudder originals.
Ways to watch
It is available through the same platforms as most other streaming services, including set-top boxes, Apple and Android devices, and game consoles.
Pricing
Monthly subscriptions start at $5.99 USD a month, or $56.99 USD for the year.
Top shows and exclusive content
The horror catalogue on Shudder is extensive, and you’ll find:
- Child’s Play
- It Follows
- 3 From Hell
- Greg Nicotero’s Creepshow
- Daniel Isn’t Real
- The Wrath
- Belzebuth
18. HighballTV
As you’ve probably noticed, fierce competition from the streaming wars has forced many services to specialize the type of content they offer, and HighballTV focuses on gleaning underrated films from film festivals like Cannes, Sundance, and TIFF, and bringing them together in one convenient place. If you love quirky, independent, and thought-provoking cinema, then HighballTV has your name on it.
Ways to watch
HighballTV is available on your computer, your mobile device, and on your television through Roku, Chromecast, or Apple TV.
Pricing
After a 7-day free trial, you can continue watching for $7 a month or $70 a year. They also have a selection of titles that you can rent or buy for an additional cost.
Top shows and exclusive content
Unless you’ve followed the film festival circuits, you might not be familiar with a lot of the actors, directors, and titles on HighballTV, but a sample of their amazing content includes:
- What We Do in the Shadows
- Luba
- The Red Balloon
19. Kanopy
Kanopy is unique on this list because it’s completely free and completely ad-free. This is because it is available through public libraries and schools around the country, so you can watch films on this streaming service for free just as you’d check a book out of the library.
Most of the content is a little more sophisticated than what you might find on the more mainstream streaming services, and you can watch thousands of award-winning movies, foreign films, critically acclaimed flicks, and documentaries, all at no cost.
To access the service, all you need is a student card number or library card number from a participating library, college, or university.
Ways to watch
Watch on your smart TV, computer, mobile device, or on your television using Apple TV, Fire TV, and other set-top boxes.
Pricing
Kanopy is free through participating universities and libraries across the country. Check if it is available to you through their find your public library or find your university resources.
Top shows and exclusive content
Some of the titles you can watch on Kanopy include:
- Babel
- Margot at the Wedding
- Cleo from 5 to 7
- Miss Representation
20. Acorn TV
Acorn TV is similar to Britbox in that it offers a large selection of British content, but it also has programming from a number of commonwealth countries, Spain, and Mexico. The focus of Acorn TV is television series, including mysteries, dramas, comedies, foreign language series, and crime stories, but they also have some feature films and Acorn original series, with new content being added weekly.
Ways to watch
It is available on all the regular platforms, including online from your computer, on an Android or Apple device or streaming device, on Roku, and on Fire TV.
Pricing
A month-to-month subscription is $7.49, or you can opt for the cost-saving annual membership and pay $74.99.
Top shows and exclusive content
On this streaming service you’ll find British favourites like Line of Duty and Doc Martin, but they also have exclusive Acorn originals like Keeping Faith, Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, Queens of Mystery, and Detectorists.
21. CuriosityStream
The special focus of CuriosityStream is documentaries. You’ve got your nature documentaries, your history documentaries, your science, nature, and technology documentaries, and just about every other type of documentary you could imagine. In fact, it is home to thousands of educational non-fiction, including award-winning original and exclusive content.
Ways to watch
You can catch your favourite documentaries on your computer, phone, or tablet, and also download programs onto your mobile device to watch later.
Pricing
There are a few plans available, depending on whether you want a monthly or annual subscription, and whether you want to view in HD or 4K:
- HD streaming is $2.99 USD per month or $19.99 USD for the year
- 4K streaming is $9.99 USD or $69.99 USD for the year
Top shows and exclusive content
No matter what type of documentaries you like, this streaming service will have content that piques your curiosity, such as:
- Conscious Capitalism
- Global Food
- Space Probes
- Sacred Spaces
- Big Cats
- Storm Chaser’s Guide
22. Club illico
Club illico is the only streaming service on this list that’s dedicated to providing Canadian viewers with exclusively French content. That includes French versions of popular TV shows and movies, such as documentaries, horrors, comedies, dramas, international content, fantasies, family friendly content, and more. This service also has original productions out of Quebec, and Club illico original content.
Ways to watch
Aside from watching directly on your computer, or from the app on your Android or Apple device, the only other way to watch is through Chromecast.
Pricing
If you’re a Vidéotron customer, you can sign up for TV packages that include Club illico. Otherwise, existing Vidéotron customers can subscribe to Club illico for $9.99 a month, and non-customers can subscribe for $15 a month.
Top shows and exclusive content
Check out Club illico to watch French versions of hit movies and shows like:
- Veronica Mars
- Argo
- Casino Royale
- Troy
As well as exclusive original Club illico productions like:
- Mon fils
- L’Académie
- En Fugue
- La Faille
- Victor Lessard
23. Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is your one-stop streaming service for all things manga, anime, and Japanese drama. Beyond that, there are also simulcasts available directly from Japan, so you can keep up with all your favourite episodes as they’re available. They have tons of free teasers on the site, but you’ll have to sign up and pay for a premium account for access to full shows and series.
Ways to watch
This streaming service has fewer platform options than some of the others on the list, but you can still watch on your TV, mobile devices, and directly on your computer.
Pricing
$7.99 a month, $22.99 for three months, or $69.99 for a year.
Top shows and exclusive content
You’ll find thousands upon thousands of manga and anime episodes on Crunchyroll, including popular titles like:
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Naruto Shippuden
- Attack on Titan
- One Punch Man
- One Piece
24. tubi
Tubi is another one of the unicorn streaming services that’s available completely free. There are thousands of movie and show titles on this service, and you never have to pay a dime. In fact, you don’t even have to register to watch movies, but you will have to create a free account if you want to add movies to your queue.
The trade-off, however, is that you do have to deal with ads, but they do their best to keep the interruptions to a minimum.
Ways to watch
Even though Tubi is free, it’s still available through a number of platforms. You can watch it online, but also through game consoles (Xbox and PlayStation), on some smart TVs, on mobile devices, and through set-top boxes.
Pricing
Free!
Top shows and exclusive content
There’s no exclusive or original content on Tubi, but they do have a large catalogue of movies, including past hits like:
- The Island
- There Will Be Blood
- The Passion of the Christ
25. MUBI
MUBI is a great option for people who love cult classics and modern cinema. On this service you’ll find a selection of foreign films, undiscovered gems, arthouse films, classic cinema, and more.
They add a new movie every day, and let you download movies to your mobile device to watch offline whenever you want. It isn’t for binge-watchers, though, because there are only ever 30 titles available at a time, and movies are only available for 30 days.
Ways to watch
You can watch just about anywhere, including on your Android and Apple devices, on your computer, through all the streaming devices, on your smart TV, and you can cast movies to a smart TV from your mobile device.
Pricing
$9.99 a month, or $83.88 for a full year subscription.
Top shows and exclusive content
MUBI has plenty of movies that you’ll never be able to find elsewhere, including titles like:
- The Toxic Avenger
- Detachment
- 3 Idiots
26. Spuul
Spuul’s tagline is “10,000 hours of your favourite Bollywood movies,” so what more do we need to say? If you love Bollywood, then you’ve found your ideal streaming service.
There is a selection of ad-supported movies available if you create a free account, and you can even download movies to your mobile device with the basic account. The premium account, however, gets you access to tons of ad-free movies, 100 live TV channels, more language options, and recording capabilities.
Ways to watch
Watch all your favourite Bollywood movies on your Android or Apple device, through Chromecast, or on your smart TV.
Pricing
$4.99 a month, or $49.99 for the year.
Top shows and exclusive content
There isn’t any original content on Spuul, but membership gets you access to over 1,000 Bollywood titles, including Kahaani 2, Naseeb, and Anjaam.
Summary
There’s nothing quite like binge-watching all the episodes of your favourite show when a new season launches, and that’s one of the best things about streaming services versus cable or satellite television. Unlike TV, streaming services let you watch shows and movies on-demand, so you don’t have to wait for new episodes to air or plan your evening around timeslots.
Streaming movies and shows from the comfort of your home is also a great way to spend a quiet day off, relax at the end of your shift, connect with family, or share something with friends and loved ones.
Luckily most of them offer some sort of free trial so you can decide if you want to commit to a subscription. And because new services are popping up all the time, there’s sure to be a streaming service that caters to your tastes, regardless of whether you love British crime dramas, horror movies, international flicks, independent films, Hollywood blockbusters, or any other type of cinema.
Over to you
What streaming service do you think provides the most bang for your buck? Help other Canadians choose the right service by sharing your advice in the comments below.
